Non-Designer's Type Book, The: Amazon.ca: Robin Williams: Books

Product Description

From Library Journal

Williams teaches electronic typography and has written some excellent books on digital design (e.g., The Non-Designer's Design Book, Peachpit, 1994). Anyone who has misplaced a font they just downloaded from a web site or who has witnessed the horrific use of type on many personal web sites knows how badly these books are needed. Clear explanations and good illustrations are the hallmarks of both volumes. There is little overlap, since one deals with managing the electronic fonts and the other with the uses of type. These gems are recommended for most collections.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description

This latest addition to Robin Williams' Non-Designers line of books not only defines the principles governing type but explains the logic behind them so readers can understand and see what looks best and why. Armed with this knowledge, and putting into practice the secrets Robin reveals for making type readable and artistic, readers can then go on to create beautiful, sophisticated, professional-looking pages on their computers for output as hard copy or for use on Web pages.
Each short chapter explores a different type secret including use of evocative typography, tailoring typeface to project, working with spacing, punctuation marks, special characters, fonts, justification, and much more. It is written in the lively, engaging style that has made Williams one of the most popular computer authors today. And it uses numerous examples to illustrate the subtle details that make the difference between good and sophisticated use of type. The non-platform specific, non-software specific approach to the book makes this a must-have for any designer's bookshelf - from type novices to more experienced graphic designers and typesetters

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews

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4.3 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars I don't love typography, April 24 2004

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TheCafeWriter (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Non-Designer's Type Book, The (Paperback)

I generally find typography one of those dry, tedious details I have to know to as part of my job. But THIS book makes it approachable, understandable, interesting, and even entertaining. As titled, this is a book for NON-designers - people who aren't usually interested in this stuff unless compelled to be, and who don't have a lot of time to learn it. If you're looking for something edgier or for "breaking the rules," this is not the book to start with. However, if you're one of those people with a thousand fonts on your computer and only about 3 you ever use, this book will open your mind to the possibilities.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars For professional designers too!, July 4 2003

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xmascookielady "xmascookielady" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Non-Designer's Type Book, The (Paperback)

Designers, don't let the title scare you. This is not a dumbed-down guide for amateurs. Yes, it's a great resource for amateurs and they will understand it, but it's also a wonderful guide for professional designers who need to review professional-level typography. It's a must-have reference in my library. Includes lots of ideas on layout, fonts you can use in different situations, fonts that complement each other, increasing legibility and special typographic effects.

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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars NOT for type lovers, Dec 9 2003

By

M. Mantis (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Non-Designer's Type Book, The (Paperback)

When I picked up this book, I figured that the title, "The Non-Designer's Type Book," meant that it was a book about type, FOR non-designers. After reading it, from cover to cover, I now wonder if the title refers to the author's credentials rather than the book's target audience. I love typography. I sit in theaters and watch every minute of the rolling credits if the font used is well chosen and well displayed. I have a Caslon 540 lower-case "g" pinned to the wall above my Mac instead of swimsuit pics. If you love type, you know what I'm talking about. If you love type, avoid this book and do not recommend it to anyone who hopes to someday love typography and master its use. Robin Williams' cutesy and heavy-handed text, while sometimes informative, is loaded with irritating "insights" as well as written-in-stone directives that are passed off as law. For instance, in at least two places, she states that type should NEVER, EVER be underlined. She says that it's a "law" that should "never" be broken. C'mon Robin! I mean yes, underlining is very often misused, but have you looked at the latest PRINT or CA Annual? There is a time and a place for underlining and the sensitive, savvy designer knows when and how to do it. She outright trashes one of the most elegantly designed faces in the history of the printed word, Helvetica, and glibly states that it will be out of style for the "next two hundred years." What?? Again, has Ms. Williams even looked at what contemporary (and effective) designers are doing these days? Helvetica is alive and flourishing. And, at the same time she is trashing Helvetica, she calls "rendered" type (such as 3D effects, letters that appear to be chiseled from stone or made of, say, salad greens) typography's "most beautiful" trend. She's killin' me!! If you want to fulfill and expand your appreciation for typography, buy Robert Bringhurst's exquisite manual, The Elements of Typographic Style.

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Good information, but the author gets on your nerves
You'll find good information and clear explanations with plenty of examples in this book, so there's no denying that you'll learn something by reading it. Read more

Published on Jun 26 2002 by Erik Fleischer

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful
Robin Williams does such a great job explaining design concept's to "non-designers." I feel like she's teaching me. Here, she turns her attention to typography. Read more

Published on Feb 2 2002 by snowwyrm